SCIENCES
Through learning in the sciences, our pupils develop their interest in, and understanding of, the living, material and physical world. They will engage in a wide range of collaborative investigative tasks, which will allow them to develop important skills to become creative, inventive and enterprising adults in a world where the skills and knowledge of the sciences will be needed.
Our Sciences curriculum content has been updated for Curriculum for Excellence with a strong emphasis on the development of understanding and on critical evaluation. The key concepts are clearly identified using five organisers:
- Planet Earth
- Forces, electricity and waves
- Biological systems
- Materials
- Topical science
Effective learning and teaching approaches extend experiential learning from the early years into primary school and beyond. As our pupils progress in their learning of the sciences, our teachers can take advantage of opportunities for study in the local, natural and build environments, as an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the big ideas of the sciences. Our approaches will promote thinking as well as provide opportunities to consolidate and apply learning. Our approaches will include:
- Active learning and planned, purposeful play
- Development of problem-solving and analytical thinking skills
- Development of scientific practical investigation and inquiry
- Use of relevant contexts, familiar to young people’s experiences
- Appropriate and effective use of technology, real materials and living things
- Building on the principles of Assessment is for Learning
- Collaborative learning and independent thinking
- Emphasis on children explaining their understanding of concepts, informed discussion and communication
